Blue Moon Races DISCONTINUED
by LilKiwiBird
Summary: On the cusp of October eve and November morn, when the Kelpies run wild, all riders know one thing that is true: tonight is Samhain & tonight one of them will die. For Charlotte E. Harris, the Blue Moon Races are where she feels most alive; flying alongside the water's edge amongst the wild creatures born from the sea. So what happens when war comes knocking?
1. Prologue

_**It is Samhain and so, tonight, someone will die.**_

The wild mares are all stamping hooves and snapping jaws, jostling each other as they're brought to stand at the starting gate. Each rider struggles to keep themselves seated atop their wild mounts as they buck and throw themselves against the rattling magical barriers keeping them in place. Not that they help very much.

**_On the cusp of October eve and November morn, when the Kelpie run wild. One with their riders as they race alongside the waters of the Great Lake._**

Even under the brightest full moon, the lake waters dance and play with the colours of the night: all dark blues and blacks that could swallow you whole. Stones and pebbles roll and shift underfoot of both kelpie and rider; the excitement feels palpable as the time draws near.

_**Crowds of students line the outsides of the track; all adorned from head to toe in colourful winter wear. Yellows and blues mix and mingle like flowers in a meadow; jumping and swaying in the cold night air.**_

Across the lake, the festivities from the Halloween feast can still be seen even this far away. Faint, ghostly laughter and terrified screams carry across the freezing waters; no doubt Peeves and the Marauders going to war again.

_**The biting cold turns my cheeks a bright raw red, my chaffed nylon-clad things cling tight to the mare's belly. With hands wrapped in black reedy hair slicked back and woven with pond flora. **_

Coins clink into containers as the last of the bets are placed on favourites like Coral and Neptune. Colourful homemade banners float and flutter in the night air above the crowds, spouting messages like _'Let 'em ride!'_ and _'Run, Kelpie, Run!'_

_**My eyes burn bright behind foggy Quidditch goggles, heart beating in tune to the stamping feet around me like war drums. I feel so alive.**_

Tonight we race.


	2. Of Trains & Feasts

_Up in the mornin' and out to school_

_The teacher is teachin' the golden rule_

_American history and practical math_

The short auburn-haired girl who sat against the doorway of the train compartment tapped her socked feet against the seat; along to the beat of AC/DC's 'School Days' that blasted from the clunky charmed radio as she continued onto the next line of her multi-coloured knitting.

Above her, their trunks slid back and forth as the train went around the corner. Hers, the one with the cracked leather and weathered straps, and had been decorated with floral & bright yellow house stickers, leaving only her name (Charlotte E. Harris) to be printed neatly, in bright white letters; slid back into place as the train straightened back out.

_You're studyin' hard and hopin' to pass_

_Oh, you're workin' your finger right down to the bone_

_And the guy behind you won't leave you alone._

In the seat across from her, Marlene McKinnon sat tucked behind a rather large copy of Gail Parent's 'Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York'. Apparently this one was good and saucy, if the occasional tongue poking out, bright eyes and shifting of legs was anything to go by.

Charlotte loved watching these little gestures that Marlene seemed to unconsciously make as she read; she always thought they made her all the more beautiful. Not that Charlotte ever said that, of course; she wasn't very talkative person to begin with. But that was okay, Marlene did more than enough talking for the both of them.

_Ring, ring goes the bell_

_The cook in the kitchen is ready to sell_

_But you're lucky if you can find a seat_

_You're fortunate if you got time to eat_

_Well back in to class and open your books_

_Gee but the teacher don't know how mean she looks_

Over in the window seats Daniel Walters and Edgar Bones (two fellow 'Puffs) sat playing a game of Wizard's chess with the board seated on the small collapsable table that sat beneath the windowsill.

Where Edgar was short and stocky, his legs easily swung back and forth, barely scraping against the floor as his auburn head peered down at his dwindling little black figures. Daniel was tall and wiry, his blonde frame bent over the board as he thought out his next move, biting his lip in thought.

_Hail, hail rock-n-roll_

_Hail, hail rock-n-roll_

_Hail, hail rock-n-roll_

_Hail, hail rock-n-roll_

_Hail, hail rock-n-roll_

_Hail, hail rock-n-roll_

"Anything from the trolley dears?" The door slid open to reveal the Trolley Witch, an elderly woman who was often seen hunched over her trolley of Honeydukes Sweets as she shuffled up and down the Hogwarts Express.

While typically a solemn but kind old lady; Charlotte had witnessed on more than one occasion where the woman had transfigured her hands into monstrous claws, in order to scare (usually younger) students back into their seats. Still, no one quite knew how old she was nor her real name (even she seemed to have forgotten).

_As soon as three o'clock rolls around_

_And you lay your burden down_

_Throw down your books and outta your seat_

_You go down the hallway and into the street_

"Uh, can I get a bag of Whizzbees and a couple of Quills?" Charlotte asked, moving to the door as she pulled out her wallet and sifted through to find the right amount of Wizarding change, making sure that she didn't get any Muggle money mixed in. "D'you guys want anything?" She turned to the boys at the back of the compartment as the Trolley Witch pulled out the needed items.

"Can you get me a frog?" Edgar asked, chucking the required coin at Charlotte who caught in just in time. Thank Merlin for Seeker reflexes!

"And, uh, a frog, please" Charlotte spoke to the Trolley Witch who exchanged the pile of goodies for the coin before moving on.

_Up to the corner and 'round the bend_

_Right to the juke joint you go in_

_You drop the coin right into the slot_

_You gotta hear somthin' that's really hot_

_With the one you love you're makin' romance_

"Frog for you, good sir" Charlotte teased, dropping the frog in Edgar's hands as he moved one of his pawns forward, "And a quill for the lady" she slid a lemon-flavoured sugar quill over the top of Marlene's book, pulling her from its pages.

"Why thank you, darling; you know me so well" Marlene grinned, marking her place and pulling out the treat.

"I try"

_All day long you've been waitin' to dance_

_And you feel the music from head to toe_

_Round and round and round and round you go_

Sitting back in her seat as she sucked on a quill, Charlotte glanced around at her friends, a smile on her face as she watched the familiar castle outside, grow ever closer. All four of them had changed into their uniforms an hour or two beforehand; or at least partially.

Shirts had been left untucked, shoes lay in a pile on the floor and ties hung around their necks like flimsy scarfs. Where Marlene had opted to put on her pleated skirt, (letting the black and red-trimmed material bunch up around her legs as she lay languidly across the seat).

Charlotte had opted to leave her own black and yellow-trimmed skirt to lay on the seat next to her; leaving her instead in the lace-encrusted pyjama shorts she'd worn on the train and her school shirt that lay untucked and mostly buttoned.

_Long live rock n roll_

_Long live rock n roll_

_Long live rock n roll_

_Long live rock n roll_

Despite the relaxed atmosphere the quartet had surrounded themselves with, none of the them could deny that tensions ran high in the Wizarding World. And for them? Even more so, it was hard enough trying to figure out what you wanted to do after school without all this blood purity crap going on.

With the rise of the dark wizard known as Voldemort, they knew that eventually something would come to a head. The most likely outcome? War. Of course it had been brewing for some time now, the Daily Prophet at her feet listing the deceased and missing people from the latest attacks on Muggleborns and Muggles alike.

As the attacks grew more and more frequent, a lot of parents had pulled out their kids from school; instead, hiding away or moving out of Britain all together. Most of the Hufflepuff girls in her year had already left; only Mary Smith and Olivia Lawerence were left.

There were also rumours that said the dark wizard was recruiting those still in school, those didn't help matters. It would be interesting to see how many first years there would be this year; certainly less than usual. And how long would they stay?

_Rock, rock, rock n roll_

_Rock, rock, rock n roll_

_Rock, rock, rock n roll_

_Rock, rock, rock n roll_

_Rock, rock, rock n roll_

_Rock, rock, rock n roll_

* * *

As it turned out, the sorting had been dismal that year with the majority of kids going into either Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Gryffindor. They had gotten a couple of new 'Puffs but that was about it.

Around them, students chattered as they all dug into the gorgeous Start-of-Term feast laid before them. Charlotte pulled at her collar as she ate, annoyed at having to button it all the way up, but it was the first day back so she couldn't really complain.

"Will. You. Stop. Eating?" Across from her, Amelia Bones (Edgar's younger sister) sat hitting her brother on the arm with between every word.

"Don't worry! She'll be here in a minute. She's probably off snogging that 'Claw she was writin" Edgar replied around a mouthful of roasted potatoes, completely unfazed by his sister's antics.

"Our sister is missing! And all you can do is eat!"

"Oi! Turn around, you lunatic!" Edgar whined spotting said youngest sister making her way over to them.

"She's covered in dirt again, why is it she's always covered in dirt?" Amelia whined.

"Look's like she had fun" Edgar murmured, noticing the hay sticking out of her hair, rumpled robes and swollen lips.

"Where have you been, Muriel?" Amelia demanded as Muriel sat down and began loading her plate up with food.

"Later, what have I missed?" Muriel asked shovelling roasted chicken into her mouth.

"Evans' is head girl" Charlotte replied.

"Who didn't see that coming?" Muriel sassed.

"And Potter's head boy"

"Seriously? How the fuck did he manage that one?"

"Who knows? Oh! And Kettleburn's back" Charlotte gestured her fork towards the teacher's table where the professor (or at least most of him) sat on the far left.

"Plus, the Sorting hat wants us to all to be brave and strong during these troubled time" Edgar interjected.

"Easy for it, though, it's a hat, innit?" Daniel added around a mouthful peas. Edgar gestured towards Daniel in agreement.

Not long after Amelia had let the conversation drop, (but not without promising to return to it later) and dinner had been replaced by dessert, Dumbledore stood up to the podium with a final speech before bed.

"Very best of evenings to you all, first off, let me welcome back our Care of Magical Creatures Professor, Professor Kettleburn" Dumbledore began, his leathery voice echoing out across the Great Hall as he swept an arm over to the battered professor who stood as best he could at the introduction.

"Now as you know, each and every one of you was searched upon your arrival here tonight, and I believe you have the right to know why. Looking out at you all tonight, I'm reminded of a sobering fact: every day, every hour, this very minute perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate these castles walls. But in the end, their greatest weapon is you"

Deafening silence rang throughout the hall as his words sank in. It was clear the professors were going for the admit-it's-happening-but-don't-tell-you-much approach. Up above them, the enchanted ceiling turned grey with rolling thunder clouds, as dark and dreary as the headmaster's words.

"Just something to think on. Now off to bed, pip-pip"

"Well, that was cheery" Edgar muttered as Hufflepuff moved as one, following this year's prefects back to the dormitory.


	3. Of Mares & Moons

_**ONE MONTH LATER**_

Tumbling from M.C. Escher's _'Relativity'_ painting hidden at the back of the Gryffindor common room, Charlotte excitedly made her up the stairs to the dormitories, intent on catching Marlene before she made it down to the Great Hall for the tail-end of lunch. Thankfully, the common room was fairly empty at this time of day, letting her call and run about without abandon as she searched for her friend.

"Marley! Marley!" Charlotte called as she raced up the stone steps, clutching tight to the scrap of paper with a small message scribbled across the page. It was only due to her fast reflexes that she was able spin out of the way of the door that suddenly opened to her left, revealing an irritable Remus Lupin riddled with terrible bed hair.

"Sorry Lupin!" Charlotte called behind her as she continued on a little ways before entering the seventh year girls dorm. She heard a couple of muttered grumbles in reply and a door slam behind her as she moved further into the girls' dorm.

"How's my favourite lion?" Charlotte chirped, jumping onto the end of Marlene's bed without a care for the person hidden beneath the blankets.

"Could you be any louder?" Marlene groused, rolling over peeking out from beneath her blankets.

"Yes" Charlotte deadpanned.

"Ugh! What do ya want, Chuck?" Marlene hid back underneath her blankets, intent on forgetting the world ever existed or that she had to go to double Potions for the afternoon. Why did the study period have end so soon?

"They're here!" Charlotte sang waving the scrap of paper in her hand.

"…Really?" Marlene peeked out from underneath the blankets, peering up at the beaming brunette.

"Uh huh, Matthews spotted a few out west by the Forbidden Forest" Charlotte grinned.

"And he just…gave you their location out of the goodness of his heart?" Marlene sat up revealing her gravity-defying bed hair & rumpled oversized Star Trek t-shirt (it read "This is my lucky red shirt" in large white bubble letters) and shot a questioning look Charlotte's direction. "Y'know as well as I do, that 'Claws never do anything for free"

"I told him where to find this book on ancient magics he was lookin' for"

"But those aren't translated, are they?"

"He doesn't need to know that"

"He'll know soon"

"Yeah, well…" Charlotte shrugged.

"So…what now?" Marlene asked, grimacing as she tried to run a hand through her messy mop of hair.

"What've you got next period?" Charlotte asked, tucking her feet underneath her as she sat cross-legged on the end of the bed.

"Uh, double Potions" Charlotte poked her tongue out and made a face of disgust at the idea. "Yeah, I know" Marlene agreed, no one liked trudging all the way down the dark corridors to the frigid dungeons for Potions. Well, except fro maybe the Snakes. "Why?"

"Well, how do you feel about having a longer lunch?" Charlotte proposed, a cheshire-like grin spreading across her face.

"What d'ya mean?" Marlene asked.

"I've got a study and then History after lunch, so no one's gonna know. But if you pull a sickie and meet me down by the Forest, then we can scope out our choices and be back in time for dinner" Charlotte stayed seated on the bed as she watched Marlene straighten herself out and pull on clothes.

"And after dinner? Y'know it's a full moon tonight, right? They'll be out in full force"

"That's what I'm counting on. C'me on Marley! It's not like this is the first time we've done this!"

"Yeah, but it's the first time you'll actually be doing it, not just watching. What if something happens? What if you get hurt? What if you die? What am I supposed to do?" Marlene panicked, her voice creeping higher as her worried thoughts crept to the surface.

"I'll be fine Marley" Charlotte rose and made her way over to Marlene clasping the girls' face in her hands, stroking gently at her cheeks as she stared straight into Marlene's glistening eyes.

"I don't wanna lose my badger" Marlene's voice was small now, her quiet voice no more than a whisper. Charlotte stood on her tiptoes as she pressed a kiss to Marlene's forehead, lingering there for a moment before she fell back to her heels.

"You won't. Trust me?"

"Always"

* * *

Out in the corridor, Remus stood (now dressed in his uniform and hair tamed as much as possible) listening to the voices drifting out from the girls' dorm only a few paces away. His face was drawn into pained expression as he tried to process what he had overheard.

Even he had heard the rumours of Death Eaters recruiting werewolves (pack or otherwise), but to have his own classmates a part of it? Remus shook his head at the thought, McKinnon and Harris as Death Eaters? A Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff? Really? It was almost laughable. But the concern was still there. Just what were those two planning?

He hoped that they were smart enough to stay inside tonight, otherwise Merlin knows what would happen to them.

* * *

The full October moon hung high in the sky illuminating the dog, stag, wolf and rat that played on the grassy knolls below. The smaller creatures seemed to play an odd game of keep away, one that the wolf found oddly entertaining in a slightly annoying kind of way. Kind of like an older sibling watching the younger one play.

Despite the almost gentle rough and tumble sort of play that the group had fallen into, the smaller beasts still sported various wounds and scratches, ones that would become pieces of interest once the sun rose.

Suddenly the wolf perked up from his resting place on the edge of the knoll next to the Forbidden Forest, ears tilting towards the noise that had caught his attention. The soft pattering of feet quickly approached, those unlike the usual creatures he usually associated with his nightly domain.

His curiosity was soon satiated when a brown haired Maine Coon came streaking through the clearing with a ferret clasped gently in its jaws, like a mother would carry its cub. He thought the little beast was going to keep on moving through the clearing, and that seemed to be the case until it caught sight of the wolf dozing on the edge of the knoll.

Freezing in place, the cat arched its back and growled low in its throat at the threat before it. The wolf seemed unwavered by the act of aggression and was more interested at how the ferret too seemed unfazed by the cat's show of aggression, despite the situation it was in.

Behind the new pair, both the dog and the stag had woken and were watching the scene play out, muscles tensed to intervene should they need to. For a beat, no creature moved, all stuck in their places. But with a series of chirps from the ferret, the Main Coon began to slink away from the group, keeping its belly low to the ground as it left, not once turning its back on the wolf. Good cat.

With a huff, the wolf returned his head to his paws where he had been dozing; the rest of his odd pack doing the same as he continued to watch the cat and ferret slink away into the dark forest.

* * *

"Since when do we have werewolves at Hogwarts?" Marlene demanded as the pair made their way along the lakeshore to where the Kelpie herd had last been spotted, stumbling over loose pebbles and rocks as they did so.

"Since now, I guess?" Charlotte shrugged, "Who d'ya think it was?"

"I dunno, a 'Claw, maybe?"

"Why a 'Claw?"

"Cause they're the best secret keepers, 'course"

"I guess…"

"So…what now?"

"Well, the herd's still down by the forest, so we'll start there"

"And how d'ya know if you find the right one?"

"It'll try to kill me"

_"Charlotte!"_

"What? We both knew this was going to be dangerous. Merlin! I mean _Kettleburn_ put an age restriction on the race!"

"…I know, but I still don't like it"

"You don't have to like it, just be there for me"

"…Okay"

The duo eventually made their way out onto the rickety jetty that jutted out from the docks, the very ones that they had arrived on when they had first arrived at Hogwarts during their first year. It seemed the herd had moved closer to the forest and the evidently, the school.

"All right, let's do this" Charlotte muttered pulling out the flaxweed whip had been stuffed into the pocket of her multicoloured striped pyjama shorts. With a hushed "Good luck" from Marlene, Charlotte made her way out into the cold lake waters, jumping from the safety of the jetty before she could change her mind. The few kelpie who made up the herd gathered at the docks began to disperse with hisses and grunts as Charlotte waded out, drawing nearer to them.

One by one they disappeared back beneath the dark waves until only one was left. With her feet barley scraping the sloped lake floor and the flaxweed whip clutched tightly in her hands, Charlotte turned to the blackened mare that approached her head on.

He was a beauty, this blackened mare. Even in the water, she could tell that he was of a smaller stature than the others, his stocky build only just reaching above her. His reedy mane fell around his face like watery curtains and pooled around his chest where the lake water lapped against him. Within his mane, pond flora was woven in and out of it like living ornaments.

It was here and now, that Charlotte understood what past racers had told her about these wondrous creatures. Even now, unbound and loose, this dangerous creature seemed to share a bond with Charlotte. Something so wild and free.

With a hiss and a roar the kelpie turned on Charlotte, her blood singing in her veins as she stared into the pupils moonlit eyes of the beast. Bracing herself for what was to come, Charlotte replied with a challenging hiss; one that the beast returned.

"Let's dance" Charlotte challenged, moving back far enough so she could plant her feet on the ground. Swinging the whip above her head a couple of times, Charlotte waited until the kelpie was within reach before she pounced.

The black mare launched forward with a snap of its jaws, intent on making a meal of Charlotte. However, prepared for the attacked, Charlotte snapped the whip around the muzzle of the horse and swung herself onto its back where she struggled to lock her arms around the bucking beast.

The kelpie beneath her bucked wildly, tossing her to and fro, the once calm waters of the Black Lake, now frothing as the creature writhed in its binds. "MAKE THE BOND!" Marlene shouted from the shore. _What do you think I'm trying to do?_ Charlotte grumbled as the kelpie threw its head back, loosening her grip enough to throw her into the dark and murky waters below.

"CHARLOTTE!" Marlene cried as she watched her girl disappear beneath the frothing waters of the Black Lake. No sooner had Marlene cried out, did Charlotte burst from the lake like a vengeful mermaid.

With water dripping off of her determined form, Charlotte launched herself back onto the kelpie, tightly locking her arms around its muzzle as she tried once more to make the bond. "THE BOND, CHARLOTTE! THE BOND!" Marlene called.

Charlotte shifted enough to lock her legs around the kelpie's head and shove it towards its chest. As the bound kelpie continued to struggle, Charlotte rolled up the wet sleeve of her Quidditch jersey, placed the limb in front of the mare's mouth like bait and recited the old binding spell.

_"Sanguis Sanguinem,_

_Duobus Corporibus_

_Anima Adiuro te mihi"_

With a sharp cry of pain, several things happened at once. The kelpie beneath her grew still as it bit down on her forearm and Charlotte felt…something surge through her. Her heart beat in time to the one beneath her, her eyesight grew sharper, her breathing shallow. She was the kelpie, the kelpie was her, they were one and the same.

"That's right, you're mine" Charlotte breathed as she seated herself on the back of the mare, pulled her arm out of its jaws and released the whip from the muzzle. She couldn't help but chuckle as the mare rose gently to its feet and accepted her as his.

"RUN CHARLOTTE! SEAL THE BOND!" Marlene called from the shore, her hands cupped around her mouth as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. With hands woven into reedy mane before her, Charlotte dug her heels into the belly of the water horse.

Marlene could only watch on in awe from the dock as her badger flew across the surface of the Black Lake, a joyful cry falling from the brunette's lips as the two creatures ran wild under the full moon.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the group, a pair of wolfish eyes watched the scene play out from the cover of the dark forest. When he woke, he wouldn't remember the small girl who tamed a wild water horse nor the cheering classmate who stood on the rickety jetty of the docks.

No, he would not remember any of this, but their scents would haunt for days to come. Of blood and salt and water flowers. It was a pity he would be found with blood-splattered socks clenched in his hands.


	4. Of Bandages & Broomsticks

It's never good not waking up in your own bed. Waking up in a stranger's bed? Sure, maybe you had some fun last night. But waking up in the hospital wing? That's never fun, either you did something historic to wind up here or you did something incredibly stupid.

_Knowing me, it's probably the latter._ Charlotte groused as she snuggled further into the crisp hospital sheets and the snoring person where the two lay entangled together like Devil's Snare. _Probably Marley, if that hair is anything to go by._ She thought peering at the auburn strands through cracked lids.

As Charlotte lay there unwillingly falling into the waking world, the sluggish thoughts of the night before rolled around in her head. Full moon, Marley, cat, ferret, wolf, kelpie, hospital wing.

Just as dawn broke, Marlene had finally been able to drag her away from the newly bonded kelpie and back towards the hospital wing. God! That bond was amazing! Gave her a high like no weed could!

Once back at the castle, Marlene had told Madam Pomfrey that she'd found Charlotte wandering around the grounds, asleep. Sleepwalking, that was their excuse. As flimsy as it was, there was no way anyone could prove otherwise 'cause whose to say what you do when you're asleep?

Stubbornly clinging to the last vestiges of sleep, Charlotte tried to ignore the low grumblings of whomever else was in the hospital wing. Even to her sleep addled brain, it kind of sounded like Potter and his gang of cohorts.

"…With the socks?" That sounded like Pettigrew.

"I dunno, he won't 'em go, though" That was Potter.

"D'ya think Moony did something last night?" And Black, he sounded worried which was odd. Black was never worried, he was alway cool, calm and collected. And horny.

"I dunno" Sheets crunched as someone shifted, "They're not mine, too small"

"Maybe they're Wormtail's" Black teased halfheartedly, probably trying to lift the mood.

"Hey!" Pettigrew cried.

"Well, you know what they say, 'if the socks fit…"

"That's not funny!"

"…Yeah, I know" And mood dropped again.

"What d'ya think they're in for?" Pettigrew sounded closer, probably directing his question towards them.

"I think it's just Harris" Potter replied, "Though McKinnon sounds like she's being strangled"

"She's snoring, Prongs" Black laughed.

"What's the difference?"

At last, Charlotte woke up to the sound of the door to the hospital wing being flung open and slammed behind whoever had just arrived, much to the dismay of Pomfrey who hovered around Lupin's bed, tending to him while he slept. "…Ed? Dan?" Charlotte croaked, blearily blinking at the two who had just arrived in a flurry of motion; Daniel easily outpacing Edgar. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We could ask you the same thing, Norris" Daniel scolded with crossed arms as he bent over the two girls occupying the hospital bed.

Charlotte scrunched her face up and stuck out her tongue at the nickname, still annoyed that it had stuck around even years later. She was a teenager for crying out loud! It was completely normal to have crushes on celebrities! And if that celebrity just happened to be a ripped Quidditch player? Well, then all the better.

"Seriously, how did you two end up in the hospital wing again?" Edgar pushed from where he sat swinging his sock-clad feet on the empty bed to their right. Thank Merlin it was the weekend.

"Woke up next to the willow" Charlotte replied well aware that the boys on the other side of the wing had fallen into quiet once Edgar and Daniel had arrived and were probably listening in.

A look of recognition dawned on the faces of the two boys as they were clued into what she was _really_ trying to say. After all the boys loved the kelpie races as well.

"Sleepwalking again?" Daniel asked. "I thought you had that under control?" _Have the mares arrived?_

"It was just a little episode, stop making a mountain out of a mole hill" _It was a small herd but I got one, stop worrying._

"Are you sure? That's what you said last time" _Are you sure about this? You know what'll happen if you're not._

"Yeah, I'm sure. Besides Marley found me" _Yes, I'm sure and Marlene was with me anyway._

"Wouldn't want you to end up like Kettleburn" Edgar chuckled. _Be careful._

Charlotte huffed a laugh as Pomfrey made her way out onto the infirmary floor, moving from where she had been hovering over the heavily bandaged and snoring Lupin to her bed.

Shooing Edgar, Daniel and a barely awake Marlene away from the bed, Pomfrey instructed the girl to remove her night shirt, leaving Charlotte in her bra, pyjama shorts and bare feet (having lost her socks at some point during the night) so she could inspect the graze on the right side of her belly that she had gained from the struggle with the kelpie the night before.

From the awkward position she stood in, Charlotte could only just see Potter and his friends shooting her the occasional glance from where they sat huddled around their friend, only slightly bandaged as they were.

On that note how had they ended up in the hospital wing? Had a prank backfired or something? Merlin knew that the Slytherins could only take so much before they fired back. Charlotte rolled her eyes at the thought. Some of their pranks were bound to catch up with them eventually.

* * *

A few hours later, after Charlotte had been released from the protective claws of Madam Pomfrey, she found herself along with the rest of the 'Puff Quidditch team getting ready to play _'Catch the Snidget'_; where in an odd turnabout _she_ was to be the Snidget and her team members had to try and catch her. It was definitely a chance from her usual position as Seeker.

With a bunch of phoenix feathers (that Fawkes had _so lovingly_ gifted after his latest molting season) fluttered amongst the brush of the broomstick and an altered sneakascope (that went off whenever it was moving) tied to the tail-end of her Silver Arrow.

Garbed in the gear she usually wore for training (her oversized Quidditch jersey, fraying Hufflepuff sweater, Quidditch goggles & leather gloves, dark skin-tight riding pants and knee-high cracked leather boots), she strode through the group gathered on the pitch, broom in hand.

As one of the shortest members on the team, it really did feel like she was parting the Red Sea as she walked; everyone else wolf-whistling and cheering as she made her way to the front of the pack, ready to start the game.

She always enjoyed playing _'Catch the Snidget'_ even if she was usually in, not only was the game loads of fun but it helped her (and the others) with fine-tuning their flying skills as they expanded the boundaries of the game further and further throughout the castle's property. This year, they had only excluded the interior of the castle and the Forbidden Forest as out-of-bounds.

Pulling her goggles into place, she mounted her Arrow and waited for the five-second head start that she was given before the others could start chasing her. Leaning down low over her broom and gripping tight to the handle, her legs tensed waiting for the call.

_**BANG!**_

And like a shot she was off, leaving her teammates far behind as she rocketed out of the Quidditch pitch and back towards the castle, eyes bright and grin wide. Down below, she could hear everyone else counting down until they too, could begin. "5, 4 ,3 ,2, 1! GO!"

_**BANG!**_

With her blood pumping in her ears, Charlotte let out a crow of joy at the sound of the second spell that launched into the air, and her teammates began to chase her. Zipping through the arches of the bridge, Charlotte called a cheeky "Hey!" to the group of fourth year Ravenclaws who were hanging out there, as she passed over their heads.

Not long after she had slipped through, she heard a shout of surprise sound behind her as the group of 'Claws who no doubt had to jump out of the way of the 'Puffs on her tail. "C'me on lads!" She heard William Smithers, one of their Chasers, call as she grew closer to the Forbidden Forest and the castle that lay beyond.

Skirting the forest all together, she flew along the surface of the lake, so low that her leather-clad toes dragged through the water, creating waves as she went. Taking a sharp turn at the edge of the forest, she made her way towards the castle, splashing a group of lounging second year Slytherins as she did so much to their chagrin.

" 'scuse me!" Charlotte laughed as she passed over a group of sixth year Gryffindors hanging out by the Weeping Willow (not to be confused with the Whomping Willow) at the lake's edge. _They won't be there for long!_ She grinned in thought as she heard her teammates call out behind her. "Get her!" and the girlish shrieks from the sixth years that were stupid enough to remain on the lakeshore.

Twisting and turning through the large archways of the castle's courtyard, she eventually popped out into the main courtyard where a few of the students who had decided to refrain from the Hogsmeade trip this weekend, were scattered.

When she was low enough to the ground, she dropped from her broom, running for a couple of steps until she came to a full stop next to the group of seventh year Gryffindors she had spotted from the air. Potter & his cohorts, or the 'Marauders' as they had so ingeniously named themselves,

"Harris?" Potter questioned, looking up at the sudden appearance of the flushed and panting brunette who had so suddenly appeared in the spot between his mates. Next to him Pettigrew not so subtly tried to not-so-gently stuff some old parchment back into his robes.

"Is there something you wanted, love?" Black smiled, falling back on the usual charm that got him what he wanted.

"Uh…" Charlotte glanced over her shoulder, huffing a laugh when she saw the frontrunners of the 'Puff team enter the courtyard, frustratedly searching for her. "Pretend like you're talking to me!"

"We _are_ talking to you" Potter sassed.

"Is someone chasing you?" Lupin asked from her left, eyes roving over her tired form as she clutched her Arrow to her chest.

"…You could say that" Charlotte grinned as her bright eyes tracked Charles Geller who sat above them, just behind the canopy of the tree, searching the courtyard for her.

"…Hey, are you okay?" Potter asked after a beat of silence.

"Yeah, why?" Charlotte asked, confused at the sudden turn in conversation.

"Well, it's just you were in the hospital wing this morning…" Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lupin start at the comment, tensing slightly.

"So were you"

"I asked you first"

"Weren't you listening?"

"Tell me anyway" Charlotte couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she watched Pettigrew and Black swing their heads back and forth like cats watching a fly as she and Potter volleyed their comebacks at each other.

"Fine. I sleepwalk sometimes; woke up next to the Whomping Willow with Marley"

"But you're fine now?"

"Why Potter, I didn't know you cared so much!" Charlotte teased, dramatically placing a hand over her heart as she continued, "Whatever will Evans think?" Black barked a laugh.

Suddenly their conversation was cut off by Geller's sudden announcement as he alighted down a few metres away from the group, having finally spotted her yellow sweater amongst the multicoloured sea of mufti-clad students. "Your tail's mine, Harris!" He declared advancing on the group as Charlotte back-pedalled towards the Great Lake.

"Your fly is down Geller!" She retorted with a laugh as Geller reflexively looked down at his pants (that had no fly) before taking off straight for the castle's turrets, laughing all the while.


	5. Of Brownies & Midnight Rides

"What the hell?" Sirius exclaimed upon entering the common room, James at his side. It was to this strange sight that James Potter & Sirius Black found themselves in as they entered their common room the following Monday afternoon:

Following a Potions test, a collection of seventh year Hufflepuff and Gryffindor girls had taken up residence in front of the Gryffindor fireplace, blasting Muggle music from a clunky radio and cackling around an empty plate of special brownies; completely unaware of their surroundings.

It had taken very little wheedling on both Marlene and Charlotte's parts to get Lily Evans and Mary McDonald to partake in the specially made brownies (purchased from a shady bloke who frequented the Muggle town just south of Hogsmeade); what with all of them being stressed out about the increased workload they were now getting into, in preparation for the N.E. at the end of the year.

And so it was to Wild Cherry's _'Play that Funky Music'_ that they stumbled upon the scene before them. Mercifully the common room was empty apart from the group gathered in front of the fireplace; the other students having taken advantage of the last vestiges of sunlight that graced the Scottish Isles before Winter set in.

"…Oh Marlene! Your own thing! That's so hip!" Mary gushed, eyes red and puffy as she sucked on her fingers, getting the last little bits of brownie out from underneath her nails.

"I love salt" Lily seemed to have reached an epiphany as she studied the bag of crisps in her hands that she had moved onto after the brownies.

"I like that word, 'hip'. It kinda pops, y'know? Hip, hip, hip" Marlene replied to Mary pouting her lips as she spoke, "Hey! I can see my own mouth!"

"Y'know what's beautiful?" Charlotte gushed clasping her hands together and swaying in her seat, "Fruitcake! All the little different coloured fruits living together in one cake!"

"What do we do?" James asked, unable to take his eyes off of Lily as she hungrily sucked the crisp flavouring off of her fingers.

"I dunno, mate. Do we even do anything?" Sirius replied, before barking a startled laugh at the next comments that fell from the girls' lips.

"Y'know I jumped out of a cake once" Mary drawled, eyes wide.

"I also like sweet, but there's just _something_ about salt" Lily stopped sucking her fingers (much to James' dismay) and hoed into the rest of the crisps.

"…Hip, hip. It starts to lose it meaning after a while, y'know? Hip, hip. It's not even a real word!" Marlene groused.

"Guys, I gotta tell you something…" Charlotte trailed off, suddenly serious. Both James & Sirius unconsciously leant in, curious at what the 'Puff was going to say.

"What is it?" Lily asked, eyes glued to the short brunette.

"Uh…What were we taking about?"

"Oh! I know what it was!" Mary crowed, hand shooting up in the air.

"What? Tell us oh wise one!" Marlene laughed.

"Pfft!" Mary blew into the corner of her elbow, creating a loud fart noise that sent the rest of the girls into hysterics. Lily even fell over in her seat, clutching to her stomach as she rolled around.

"Do we…just leave them?" James suggested watching the girls roll around on the floor in hysterics.

"I guess…" Sirius trailed as they were spotted by the stoned group of girls.

"Hey look! It's Jim!" Charlotte suddenly crowed, pointing up through the gap in the couches, towards the two boys who stood motionless behind them. "Look! Look! Lilyflower! Look! It's Jim!" She flailed her feet in Lily's direction as she stared goofily up at the two from her place starfished on the floor.

"Kirk?" Lily perked up, eyes bright at the thought before flopping back down when she saw who it was. "Aw! It's just Potter"

"Kirk? Who's Kirk?" James demanded turning on Sirius, jealously burning in his eyes.

"Don't look at me!" Sirius defended, palms up. Poor little purebloods.

"Hey Jimmy! Jimmy! Hey!" Charlotte continued.

"Yes?" Sirius drawled in James' place as he continued to stew over this 'Kirk' fellow. Charlotte gave him a confused look, as if to ask why he was answering her before she shook it off.

"Why are you hanging off the ceiling like a bat?" She asked, tilting her head slightly before steamrolling over any replies; mood switching in her hysterics. "Ah! Are you a vampire? Are you gonna eat me? I don't wanna die! I'm too small! Eat Mary instead!"

"…Hey!" Mary protested.

_**SMACK!**_

"Ow! What the hell was that for, Prongs?" Sirius demanded, rubbing the back of his head where James had slapped him.

" Why'd you make her cry?" He retorted.

"I didn't mean to!"

"Well, fix it!"

"How?! She's not a car!"

"You broke her, you fix her!"

"You do it then, if you're so worried! I don't do hysterical women!"

"I didn't break her!"

"She thought I was you!"

"That doesn't help!"

"What are we talking about?" Marlene interjected, suddenly appearing next to the bickering boys.

"Merlin's balls!" Sirius cursed, both he and James jumping at the intrusion.

"What…? How…?" James questioned. Any reply from the girl was cut off with the portrait door swinging open and faint voices signalled the return of other students. By the look on the girls' faces they knew that they had to move and quickly.

What followed next was a strange assortment of tangled limbs and indiscernible high pitched noises as the girls hurriedly cleaned up their mess at inhumane speeds and rushed upstairs where they collapsed in a giggling mess on the floor of the girl's dormitory.

"Hey lads" Remus greeted as he and Peter entered the common room, coming to stand next to his friends who were frozen in their spots with varying expressions of stun and shock on their faces. "What did we miss?"

* * *

With stars shining in the sky after everyone had gone to bed long ago, Charlotte found herself down at the lakeshore bordering the Forbidden Forest with her newly bonded Kelpie (affectionately named 'Triton') snuffling at the new additions woven into his mane.

This time around Charlotte had opted to leave Marlene back at the castle in the hopes that she could make some headway with their training. As it turned out, Triton was more of a lazy ass than she was and that was saying something! Procrastination was practically her middle name!

Leaving her shoes and sweater in a pile on the jetty, where the shellfish climbed the wooden posts like ivy, she turned back to the situation at hand. Unlike Muggle or Wizarding mares, the landscape of a Kelpie's figure made it difficult to saddle them; so most preferred to just ride bareback, something that defiantly took a lot to get used to.

She pushed Triton into a trot alongside the lake, little stones and pebbles shifting underfoot as they went; it was always frigid at this time of night and Charlotte was already regretting leaving her sweater and boots behind; especially as the cold lake water splashed up around her ankles. Her feet welcomed the warmth that came with the numbness.

It was the end of the first week of October which meant there were only three left until the infamous races and already Hogwarts has seen its fair share of casualties. One boy had fallen off and bloodied his chin on a boulder. Another girl was bitten before the bonding and then there was the stray familiar. The toad really shouldn't have been surprised at the mare's handiwork; dead before he could even hit the water.

All in all there had been worse starts to the races, especially seeing as the races weren't exactly…kosher to begin with. Charlotte wasn't sure when r where the tradition of kelpie racing had started at Hogwarts, but what she did know was that with Kettleburn's reputation, he couldn't really take another hit against his teaching career before he was sacked. For good. It was one of the reasons why the participants had the fear of God drilled into them if they disobeyed the rules. They were simple really: deny, dissuade, distract.

And with the racers themselves, there were always participants who were wishy washy during the first week of October. Should I join? Shall I race? Will I find a mare for me? Familiar questions that were often the causes of the injuries that landed first-timers and arrogant assholes in the hospital wing scrambling for a cover-up. Besides Charlotte always preferred when the first week of 'festivities' were over and the riders were forced to make a decision. Then shit got real.

Slowing to a walk as they passed under the Ironback Ridges, Triton lifted his head towards the water, ears pricked and chest puffed as if he were courting the Black Lake. Charlotte tugged on his long mane, directing him away from the tempting water with a commanding whisper.

It's her she wants him to listen to, not the song of the powerful water beside them. Gaze roving over the contours of his sleek form, she waited to see whose voice would be more potent tonight; her's or the water's. Even though the two were bound, the call of the water would always still be there; that just didn't disappear when one was bonded. No, if anything, the call to the water intensified.

With a jerk of his head, Charlotte flicked her wand out of its holder before either could blink. But Triton wasn't attacking, merely moving to study her with his pale eyes. She trusted Triton, more than she probably should. Because despite the countless number of bruises and scars she had gained over the past week of their training, she felt that there was something there, between them that she just couldn't explain, not even to Marlene.

His neck was soft beneath her numb fingers and peeking out through his long mane, his pale eyes seemed to pierce straight into her soul. Letting out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, she brought him to a halt and watched him as the magic of the water effected him.

Triton shivered, but didn't tense. Instead he seemed…anticipatory, ready and waiting for her to give the call. To let him run free as he was born to do. Turning him back towards the castle, where it was now no more than a mirage on the hill, Charlotte gripped tight to the mane woven around her fingers before she urged him forward.

The race back to the castle was a quick one filled with raw cheeks grinning against the biting wind and watery eyes squinting against the darkness of the night. Where the jetty met the water, a large silhouette could be seen hunched there. Though still distant, the hulking form was undeniably that of Fang, Hagrid's new Boarhound puppy; but what he was doing out here, Charlotte couldn't have guessed.

Fang almost seemed to be laughing when Charlotte and Triton pulled up alongside the docks, his tail wagging a mile a minute. It didn't take long for Charlotte to discover that Fang had pissed all over and in her shoes. Fuck. She knew she shouldn't have left her sweater and shoes behind. Mercifully she found her sweater (untouched by Fang) wrapped around one the jetty's wooden posts like a scarf.

Tipping out as much piss as she could, Charlotte tied the laces together and keeping the foul objects at arm's length headed back towards the castle just as the sky began to lighten.

Though a bone-weary exhaustion wanted to pull her into sleep till lunch, she knew that she still had classes to attend. Charlotte was just thankful that she'd be able to get a couple of hours in before breakfast.

With the day stretching out before her and Triton slipping into the waters behind her, Charlotte moved inland, her shoes riddled with the foul stench of dog piss.


	6. Of Blushing Boys & Interrupted Naps

The usual hum and thrum of the Great Hall drifted into white noise as Charlotte mechanically lifted spoonful after spoonful of fruit salad and Greek yoghurt into her mouth with her head in her hand as exhaustion pulled at her lids.

Breakfast was always a busy affair with students and teachers alike. Owls dive-bombed the tables as they delivered the day's mail, students fought over the selection of food displayed on the long tables and teachers prepped themselves for the first classes of the day.

On this bright and shining morning, Charlotte found herself fighting off the exhaustion she had incurred from the night before. The few hours of sleep she had been able to grab after collapsing on one of the saggy couches in the common room had only made her all the more tired and sore from the position she had awoken in. She was practically asleep in breakfast at this point.

The occasional nudge in the ribs or kick in the shins from both Edgar and Daniel served to wake her from her dozing, if only so she could continue her breakfast accompanied with her long lizard blinks and nodding head. Marlene seemed to find the scene amusing, if the small grin and smothered giggled were anything to go by.

"Bones? Walters? Harris?" The bench she was sitting on jolted as someone sat down next to her, the voice distinctly masculine and sounding eerily similar to James Potter. "What are you doing here?" He asked not unkindly.

"Eating" Daniel replied dryly around a mouthful of oatmeal and mixed berries.

"But this is the Gryffindor table" Sirius added from the other side of the table.

"What's your point?" Edgar backed up, not at all ashamed of the mashed food in his mouth he was putting on full display.

"Shouldn't you be with your housemates?" James questioned, nose scrunching up at the display Edgar was putting on.

"Look around poindexter, we're everywhere" Daniel sassed waving his spoon in the air and flicking oatmeal everywhere. James appeared affronted at the name as he wiped oatmeal flecks off of his face.

"Like ink" Edgar added smugly.

"More like a rash" Sirius quipped.

"Hey!"

Despite the benign bickering and the affronted look James was sporting, their words weren't any less true. Looking over at the Hufflepuff table made it seem like they were either a house that didn't enjoy breakfast (which was false, most of their house loved food no matter what time it was) or just were not early risers (that was true for some-mostly the older students) as the table appeared seemingly bare.

However upon looking closely at the other houses, you would see Hufflepuff students interspersed amongst their classmates and spread out along the tables. As usual, the majority of the time they were overlooked in favour of their more outgoing or extroverted classmates; which was fine as it allowed them to cross over the lines that the house prejudices created to hang out with their friends from other houses.

Aside from main events like the Halloween feast or the start/end-of-term feasts, the Hufflepuff students were usually seen mingling with their peers during meals. Something that was greatly encouraged by teachers and prefects alike; not only boosting morale but the stereotypical niceness of yellow house as well.

Charlotte felt her head begin to tip forward towards the table as her spoon dropped from her hand into her bowl with a small thunk, the yoghurt slopping over the sides as she did so. This time no kick in the shins or nudge in the ribs jolted her from her blessed sleep.

"…arlotte! Charlotte! Norris!" Marlene snapped, shaking Charlotte's shoulder as she tried to wake the brunette but to no avail. Instead, a soft snore began to fall from her lips. "Fine, do it" She turned to Edgar and Daniel.

"Norris?" Peter questioned, "I thought her surname was Harris"

"Inside joke, don't worry about it" Edgar smiled as he pulled Charlotte's partially eaten breakfast towards him, out of the way.

Marlene silently shifted some of the dishes in front of the group out of the way, sending most of them in the direction of the Marauders much to their delight and confusion. Daniel then leant over the table so as to reach Charlotte better and in one swift movement knocked out the arm her head was leaning on, right out from underneath her.

Charlotte's head hit the table with a thud and she jolted upright at the sudden pain and falling sensation. "I'm up!" She cried shooting upright at the sudden wake up call before slumping over in her seat and rubbing a hand down her face as those around her snickered at the scene.

"Norris" Edgar began shoving an iron-replenishing potion in her direction, "Drink"

"But Ed…!" Charlotte whined.

"Drink"

"But it tastes like troll feet!"

"Drink"

"…Fine!" Pinching her nose and chucking back the potion like a shot of firewhiskey, Charlotte tried to drink as much of the foul-tasting potion as she could in one go.

Slamming the empty goblet back down on the table upside down, Charlotte shuddered and pulled a face of disgust at the burning aftertaste that lingered in the back of her throat.

"Happy?" Charlotte rasped.

"Yes" Edgar grinned.

Regardless of her grumblings, Charlotte knew that taking the iron-replenishing potion was good for her (it was definitely a lot more effective than the Muggle supplements) but that didn't mean she had to enjoy it. Why couldn't they make medicine that didn't taste gross? She'd happily take the potion more often if it tasted like lemon sherbet or fudge flies; anything besides the troll feet flavour she had now!

"What's on for today?" Daniel asked pulling Charlotte from her musings.

"Uh, I've got double Care of Magical Creatures this morning. What about you?" Charlotte replied somewhat more awake at this point.

"Uh…I think I've got Divination and Herbology"

"Why do you even take Divination, again?" Marlene scoffed with contempt, "It's a bogus subject"

"It is not!" Daniel defended hotly.

"You just like smoking weed and drinking tea for an hour" Charlotte sassed.

"I do not! And for _your _information it's called scrying and reading tea leaves!"

"Really? 'Cause I call it stoned and tired"

"Well, it looks like you're halfway there!"

"Oh ha ha! You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Alright! That's enough you two" Edgar butted in before the sibling-like squabble could get too far out of hand.

"C'me on, let's get to class before Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum start going for the throats" Marlene joked stumbling over the bench a little as she went, ignoring the protests and cries of indignation from the aforementioned duo.

* * *

Although Kettleburn usually preferred the hands-on approach to teaching, it was clear he had been given yet another lecture about using more theoretical teachings in his lessons, as the seventh year Care of Magical Creatures class spent the first hour of the class scattered around the Moonbay clearing. Here in the centre of the Forbidden Forest where they sat listening and taking notes on his lecture. Most of it filled had been with wild gestures and lewd animal jokes.

Then as one, the group rose and trudged further into the forest intent on finding the subject of today's lesson. Unicorns. The herd had been spotted earlier in the week meandering around the eastern side of the forest and that's where they were headed.

Following the path through the forest, Charlotte couldn't help but let her gaze wander towards the lake now and then; with the water so close she almost felt like one of the kelpie tied to the pull of the water.

Off in the distance, the braying of a kelpie could be heard as it sang to the waves and startled some of the students in the class. It was understandable though, to most the call sounded like a wailing child lost in the throes of grief. To Charlotte however, it sounded like the call of the water, so powerful and gentle all at once. It was bone-tingling to say the least.

"It's probably just the merfolk" James shuddered from behind her. Charlotte wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure Remus or himself.

"Oh there's more than just merfolk in those waters" Charlotte grinned, walking backwards as she spoke.

"And how do you know that?" Remus asked, suddenly wary of the wicked gleam in her eye.

"I read" She shrugged before moving to catch up with Edgar further up the path.

In spite of Charlotte's nonchalant response, Remus couldn't help but watch her send glances towards the Black Lake every now and then as they walked, her gaze filled with hopeless longing. One you'd usually only see on a kelpie-or so he'd read. It was preposterous of course, still Remus couldn't help but wonder.

When the group finally did reach the designated clearing that the herd occupied, the creatures were met with hushed gasps and stunned awe. No amount of sketches and textbooks could put into words how beautiful these creatures were. Where the kelpie was sleek muscle encompassed in dark colours of the deep waters, the unicorn was delicate and pure like ballerinas.

It's shining white coat, contrasted brilliantly with the dirt brown and mossy green of the forest around them even as the creatures towered far over their heads. It seemed to have been a good year for breeding too, as there were even a couple foals of silver and gold littered throughout the herd.

"Right, lassies in front, lads in back. Tae prefer the more feminine touch, don't trust te men" Kettleburn instructed the group, his thick Scottish accent almost bordering on Irish. "Approach wit care now, easy does it, easy does it. There ya go wee lassies, nice 'n gentle"

"Incredibly fast, these wee creatures, tae can outrun humans and even werewolves" James jokingly nudged Remus in the ribs at that. "Bloody hard to catch tae are and that makes ya incredibly lucky or skilled if ya do" Kettleburn lectured as the girls mingled amongst the herd, their hands running over velveteen coats of white, silver and gold whilst the boys hung towards the back of the clearing.

"Teer horn and hair are used in wands and potions, real useful tae are" Kettleburn continued. "But it be the blood that is most powerful. Drink it and ya would be immortal" A couple of Slytherins perked up at this, "Aye lads, but it'd be a curs'd half life from te moment the blood touches yer lips" Kettleburn explained at the obvious interest.

All of a sudden, a golden foal broke off from the herd and headed straight towards where the boys were gathered together much to the surprise of the class. Most of the girls still stood intermingled with the rest of they herd and they turned to watch the young foal as its surge curiosity outweighed its natural aversion to the male species.

Those at the front of the group of boys quickly scrambled out of the way, the memories of Kettleburn's graphic descriptions and pictures of what an angered unicorn (even a foal) could do to someone. Let's just say, those pretty faces hid nightmarish creatures beneath them and the after images of the victims had _not_ been pretty.

Eventually the foal found his way to his intended target. One, James Potter. Said boy was stuck frozen as the golden foal circled him before deciding to suck and nibble on the wild strands of hair as if it was a teat.

Charlotte slapped a hand over her mouth to try and quieten any laughter that would try and escape. She couldn't quite believe what she was seeing, not only had a golden unicorn foal approached the group of boys within her class, it had made a beeline for James Potter. Which, if you paid attention to the lectures, really only meant one thing.

Despite her best efforts, a few giggles escaped from her lips as she watched the scene with unashamed glee (along with the other girls who had clued into what was going on much to the confusion of the boys).

Next to her the silver unicorn she had been petting, nudged his muzzle into the pocket of her robes where several leftover cubes of sugar lay from her training with Triton and licked up as many of the cubes as he could.

* * *

"Oh Lily!" Charlotte sang as she skipped down the aisles between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, mirth spread across her face like it had been painted on. Edgar, James and Remus trailed at her heels. A few dishes were lain out along the tables for students to snack on during the half and hour break between second and third classes.

"Yes?" Lily asked, perking up at the sound of her name; expression turning sour when she realised who was accompanying the Hufflepuff.

"You'll never guess what happened in Care of Magical Creatures today!" Charlotte happily plonked herself down across from Lily with Edgar, James & Remus slotting themselves in around them (Sirius and Peter joined later, as if called forth like magnets).

"Well, don't keep me waiting" Lily replied dryly.

"We were doing unicorns today and little Jim got a hands-on lesson" Charlotte grinned.

"W-what?" Lily choked out, her cheeks colouring at the implication.

"I don't know why you're so interested in it, Harris" James piped up, "All the girls got to pet them, _you_ were even feeding a few sugar cubes"

"What? Everyone like sugar cubes" Charlotte defended.

"He really doesn't know, does he?" Lily muttered much to the confusion of the boys and to Charlotte's glee.

"Oh please let me tell him!" Charlotte begged with a grin.

"Go ahead" Lily replied flippantly.

"What? What's wrong? What don't I know?" James became flustered at the girls' conversation.

"Well, Jimmy-" Charlotte began slyly, her head in her hand.

"Don't call me Jimmy" James interrupted.

_"Anyway_, if you had listened to the lectures, then you would _know_ that as creatures that embody the essences of innocence and purity it is only natural for them to gravitate towards other creatures of the same nature" Charlotte grinned like the Cheshire cat.

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Y'know creatures that are innocent, pure…untouched"

Sirius barked a laugh as James turned bright red, spluttering his words when he finally caught on to what Charlotte had slyly been implying. Next to him, Remus was resolutely staring at his plate with cheeks blazing and Peter still looked confused.

Both Edgar and Lily had slapped hands over their mouths in an attempt to smother their mirth, not that it had really worked. And all around them, the girls were sending James varying stares of desire, lust and surprise at what had been revealed.

And that was the story of how one little baby unicorn revealed James Potter's purity to the world.


End file.
